Photo courtesy of zfc.com

MIAMI – In an effort to address the affordable housing shortage, the Broward County School Board is proposing to convert an old building for housing for school district employees including teachers.

During a recent meeting, school board members discussed turning the abandoned Dave Thomas East Education Center in Pompano Beach into affordable housing.

Employees are finding it difficult to afford rent prices in South Florida, which is one of the most expensive places to live in the United States.

In Broward County, the average rental cost of a two-bedroom apartment is $2,751, according to a district presentation.

That’s more than half the monthly income of an average teacher making $60,000 a year.

A public-private partnership between the district and a developer would transform the once alternative school on Southwest 2nd Street into a mixed-income rental housing complex.